Bowling pin handling and setting apparatus with trap door pin release



'Feb.24,1 970 en ma Em; 3,497,219

BOWLING PIN HANDLING AND SETTING APPARATUS WITH TRAP DOOR PIN RELEASE Filed Sept. 21, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig./ 2

' ,IIIIO i l o 2/ k2 14: O o 4 3 20 30 2a E 32 /4 T I I\ I 20 0 L 5i J 30 24 22 0 l4 George 0. Barry l3 24 Fabian Soukup James 1:.Rank1h INVENTORS l6 a a I BY eon MK? Arm,

Feb. 24, 1970 6.9.,B-ARRY ETAL 3,497,219

BOWLING PIN HANDLING AND SETTING APPARATUS WITH TRAP DOOR PIN RELEASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 21, 1967 George 0. Barry Fab/an F. Sou/(up James E. Rankin INVENTORS 9 BY and 78 Anomq:

United States Patent US. Cl. 273-43 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pin conveyance mechanism for a pin and ball machine and the like in 'which retrieved pins are transported to a storage magazine and deflected into individual depressed areas of a trap door. Upon filling the magazine, the trap door is released which causes the pins to simultaneously discharge to the play area. A projection is carried by the accumulator which engages the last of a series of the trap doors to hold the last door open so that it acts as a gate to prevent additional pins from being deposited on the accumulator during the pin discharge operation. The door is released to assume an unblocking position when the accumulator returns to ready position by reason of an indentation on the door which clears the projection on the accumulator.

The present invention generally pertains to a pin and ball game apparatus in which pins are spotted at one end of an elongated playing surface in a particular pattern and the ball is projected toward the pins from the opposite end of the elongated surface with the object of the game played with the apparatus of the present invention being to knock down as many of the pins as is possible with an allotted number of balls. During the course of the game, knocked down pins are retrieved from the playing area and transported to a storage magazine where they are first assembled then discharged to the playing area.

In prior art constructions such as disclosed in Patent No. 3,292,925, discharge of the pins from the storage magazine is accomplished by employing ejector rods which push the playing pins from the magazine into tubes which direct them to a playing area. For simultaneous action, the ejector rods are mounted in a parallel manner to a push bar which in turn is actuated by a solenoid mechamism. Such a push bar arrangement is prone to relatively rapid wear on the surfaces which normally engage the playing pin. In addition, maintenance of the solenoid is regularly required and provokes an economic hardship in the operation of a large number of amusement machines. To effectuate the discharge of the stored pins, a relatively large force is required to be developed by the solenoid in order to push the pins from their resting positions. After some wear by the electromechanical components of the solenoid, a diminution of force exertable by the solenoid occurs until the ejector rods can no longer successfully discharge all the stored pins. A problem frequently encountered in prior art devices is developed by an accumulation of debris such as chips, slivers, etc., from stored pins in the storage magazine which might result in the fouling or binding of the discharge mechanism. Upon such an occurrence, the previously conceived machines characterized by a generally closed storage magazine 'wall structure requires a time consuming operation of disassembling and clearing the storage mechanism which is complicated due to the inaccessibility of the storage magazine interior for inspection and maintenance.

In the present invention, retrieved pins are transported to a storage magazine having a bottom wall operating as 3,497,219 Patented Feb. 24, 1970 a trap door. The interior surface of the trap door is contoured in a manner to receive each retrieved pin in an individual recess. Deflector plates are positioned above the interior surface to direct the travel of the pins in the storage magazine to individual recesses. When each recess has been filled with a pin, a cam actuated mechanism releases the trap door at which time the pins are free to slide from the recesses by virtue of gravitational force and are directed to tubular paths leading to the playing area. By employing a trap door mechanism, the instant invention obviates the necessity for a cumbersome solenoid actuated ejector rod assembly. In addition, the operating force necessary to drive the mechanism is considerably less than that necessary for operating an ejector rod assembly. Elimination of solenoid and ejector rods result in a minimum of moving parts. In the present device, any debris such as chips, slivers, etc., from pins is not permitted to accumulate in the storage magazine as these are automatically discharged each time along with the pins. The advantageous nature of such results becomes evidenced by a reduction in maintenance due to a decrease in foreign matter which would otherwise cause fouling or jamming of the mechanism. The top side of the magazine utilized in the present invention does not require a cover thereby permitting easy access for inspection and maintenance of individual pin deflectors. Similarly, the hinged bottom trap door permits easy access to the bottom compartment section of the magazine and also to the entrances of the individual tubes thereby facilitating the maintenance and inspection process further.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan elevational view of the storage magazine and further illustrates a fragmentary portion of the pin delivery conveyor.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional end view taken substantially along plane 2-2 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the deflector plate orientation and trap door position during loading of the storage magazine.

FIGURE 3 is a view illustrating the relationship of the components of FIGURE 2 during discharge of the plIlS.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional elevational view of the storage magazine as the last pin has been positioned.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing the trap door in the released position.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, elongated housing 2 contains a rotatable pulley wheel 4 about which is entrained conveyor belt 6. Afiixcd to the aforementioned conveyor belt are longitudinally spaced flights 8 containing a notch in the center portion thereof (not shown), the notch is aligned with the half round extended track 10 so as to permit the flights to pass without engagement. The conveyor structure is the same as disclosed in our prior Patent No. 3,292,925. End rail 11, parallel to half round track 10 extends longitudinally into storage magazine 12 the bottom wall portion being the discharge gate or trap door 13 which is afiixed to the storage magazine 12 by spring-loaded hinges 14. Disposed beneath and attached to the storage magazine 12 are transfer tubes 16, clearly illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The overflow return tube 18, clearly illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, represents a hollow shaft positioned intermediate of the last one of said transfer tubes 16 and said elongated housing 2.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, the pivot pin 20 allows rotation of deflector plate 21 within storage magazine 12. Cam follower 22 attached to spring loaded hinge 14 rides along the profile of cam 24 and normally holds the hinge in the closed position as particularly illustrated in FIGURE' 2. At the high point of the cam, the follower 22 causes the hinge 14 to pivot in a manner swinging discharge gate 13 downwardly thereby aligning the discharge gate with transfer tubes 16 as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawing.

The operation of the mechanism may best be appreciated by referring to FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings. In the initial condition of the mechanism, each deflection plate 21 is rotated about pivot pin 20 so as to maintain the position illustrated in FIGURE 5. In addition, half round track and end rail segments and 11 respectively are aflixed to deflector plate 21. The first pin 26 rolls along the half round track 10 until it contacts stationary deflector 19. As the pin comes to this position, its weight is exerted upon deflection plate 21 thereby causing the plate to rotate into the position shown in FIGURE 4. As this deflector is inclined, it will be appreciated that the subsequent arriving pin will be directed to the second lowermost segment of the storage magazine. When the second pin arrives and travels down the length of the storage magazine, it will come to a stop when contact is made with the first deflector and the weight of the pin will come to bear upon the second longitudinally msitioned deflector thereby causing it to pivot about its associated pivot pin as occurred when the first pin was deposited. Eventually, the entire storage magazine 12 will become filled to capacity and when the high point of the cam 24 next engages the cam follower 22, the spring loaded hinge 14 will be rotated to the position shown in FIGURE 3 which consequently lowers discharge gate 13. The discharge gate assumes the position shown in FIGURE 5 which permits the pins 26 to slide from the discharge gate into their respective transfer tubes 16. All deflector plates 21 are weighted in a manner permitting return to the original position upon release of the pins with the exception of the deflector plate 32 adjacent the overflow return tube 18. This deflector is held open when the discharge gate is open due to an interference caused by a finger-like projection 28 fastened in overlying relation with a point adjacent the overflow tube 18 along the rear edge 29 of discharge gate 13 and projecting upwardly and perpendicularly therefrom as shown in FIGURE 5. Referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be seen that the rear edge of the deflector plate 32 includes an indentation so that when the discharge gate 13 is returned to the original horizontal position for the loading thereof, the finger-like projection 28 becomes aligned with the void of the indentation 30 thereby removing the interference between the projection and deflector plate. Consequently, the weighted deflector plate 32 is freed to pivotally return to the original position.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pin setting apparatus comprising in combination a movable accumulator disposed adjacent a loading path, the accumulator storing pins in an orderly arrangement preparatory to pin discharge, an assembly for blocking the loading path after a preselected number of pins are stored in order to prevent accumulator overload, the assembly comprising a gate positioned in the loading path adjacent the accumulator and normally positioned in a neutral position to allow passage of pins into the accumulator, the gate being responsive to full loading of the accumulator to block the loading path, stop means carried by the accumulator for engaging the gate and retaining the gate in a blocking position during pin discharge, and means on the gate for causing the gate to become disengaged by the stop means upon return of the accumulator to a loading position resulting in the return of the gate to the neutral position.

2. The device set forth in claim 1 together with an overflow conduit means having an opening therein disposed beneath the gate for providing an exit from the loading path for pins being blocked therein.

3. The device 'set forth in claim 2 wherein the gate constitutes a closure means for the opening when residing in the neutral position to prevent pin exit from the loading path.

4. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein the stop means comprises a projection mounted to the accumulator for contacting the gate when the accumulator resides in a pin discharging position.

5. The device set forth in claim 4 wherein the means for disengaging the'stop means is an indentation formed in the gate to be aligned with the projection when the References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,616,694 11/ 1952 Montooth.

2,967,708 1/ 1961 Huck et a1. 273-43 3,017,184 1/1962 Gruss.

3,233,900 2/1966 Dragone 27343 1,449,012 3/ 1923 Lorenz et a1.

1,806,274 5/ 1931 Williams 27343 1,911,436 5/1933 Cone 27343 2,588,297 3/1952 Scheppe.

2,941,802 6/1960 Huck et a1. 273-42 3,292,925 12/1966 Barry et al.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner MAX R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner 

